Holidays in Mauritius: Exploring Inland.

I’ve always wanted to visit Mauritius so when Henri contacted me to see if I would consider a guest post about it I was definitely excited! Honestly, his website is so clean and neat that at first I thought it was a commercial company but after a couple of emails I found out that Henri is a local Mauritian and just wants to spread this word about this fantastic place. As Henri put it: “I started the site Mauritius Holidays and Travel Tips to share my passion and knowledge about Mauritius.” Mauritius looks like such a beautiful spot and it seems that very few people actually see the interior. Without further comment here is the guest post about exploring inland Mauritius.

(Photo by Henri)

Are you planning to travel to Mauritius? If you will be staying in one of the many luxury hotels, they might very well take care of your entertainment during your whole stay. But don’t be like many others who spend their Mauritius holidays discovering little of the country except for the nearby sandy beach. There are also other different things to do in Mauritius if you read on.

High ground

Start by leaving the coastal regions behind and heading deep inland. The geography of the country is such that the centre is found on a high plateau that gets higher and higher the more inland and south you go. In fact, the highest peak on the island is found in the highest regions of the central plateau in Black River Gorges. This is where you should be heading. You don’t have to climb the highest peaks but the surrounding area is magnificent and the luxurious green growth of nature surrounds you everywhere.

Getting there

It is very easy to reach that region. As it is the highest part of the country, you just have to drive uphill. There are also few roads leading to there. If you are driving from the south, take the road that goes through the village of Chamarel or the one that goes through Chemin Grenier. But the best approach to this part of the country is from the other side. Take the road that starts from the towns to the north and makes its way with a gentle slope past the reservoir Mare aux Vacoas and on to Plain Champagne, where your trip begins to make your Mauritius holidays different.

Things to look out for

While getting there, take a moment to stop and view the largest reservoir of the island, Mare aux Vacoas, whose water is destined for domestic usage.

Just before you reach Plaine Champagne, you will come across a junction. To the right is a path that takes you to Petrin where you can go hiking through the Gorges until you reach the lower grounds on the west coast. To the left is the road that takes you to Grand Bassin, a sacred lake where pilgrims converge once a year for Hindu celebrations. Grand basin is worth spending time looking around and climbing the steps that lead all the way up to the small hill.

If you go straight past the junction, you get into Plaine Champagne, an area popular with guava-picking. Either follow the road to the right or keep straight at the small round-about to exit to Chemin Grenier.  If you go all the way through Plaine Champagne, you will end up at Chamarel, famous for its seven-coloured earths. A sinuous road going down the mountains leads to Chamarel. Before that however, you will have a few photo opportunities at a well-situated view-point.

Take plenty of pictures not just there but throughout this day excursion to make your trip memorable. You will have seen what many holidaymakers miss while staying on the island.

Subscribe to our feed & share the love!

Did you like this article? If so, consider retweeting or stumbling it. Better yet sign up for our RSS feed OR get the goodies delivered directly to your inbox! Consider yourself hugged.

*Please remember all photos on this website are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me to ask first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!